2 Chronicles 9:13-28

Contemporary English Version

¹³ Solomon received almost 23 tons of gold each year, ¹⁴ not counting what the merchants and traders brought him. The kings of Arabia and the leaders of Israel also gave him gold and silver.

¹⁵ Solomon made 200 gold shields that weighed over three kilograms each. ¹⁶ He also made 300 smaller gold shields that weighed almost two kilograms, and he put these shields in his palace in Forest Hall.

¹⁷ His throne was made of ivory and covered with pure gold. ¹⁸ It had a gold footstool attached to it and armrests on each side. There was a statue of a lion on each side of the throne, ¹⁹ and there were two lion statues on each of the six steps leading up to the throne. No other throne in the world was like Solomon's.

²⁰ Solomon's cups and dishes in Forest Hall were made of pure gold, because silver was almost worthless in those days.

²¹ Solomon had a lot of seagoing ships.^[a] Every three years he sent them out with Hiram's ships to bring back gold, silver, and ivory, as well as monkeys and peacocks.^[b]

²² Solomon was the richest and wisest king in the world. ^23-24 Year after year, other kings came to hear the wisdom God had given him. And they brought gifts of silver and gold, as well as clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

^25 (A) Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his horses and chariots, and he owned 12,000 horses that he kept in Jerusalem and other towns.

^26 (B) He ruled all the nations from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of Philistia in the south, as far as the border of Egypt.

²⁷ While Solomon was king, there was silver everywhere in Jerusalem, and cedar was as common as the sycamore trees in the western foothills. ^28 (C) Solomon's horses were brought in from other countries, including Musri.^[c]